Batman
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Real Identity: Bruce Wayne
Affiliation(s): Justice League/Unlimited
Appearances (BTAS): All 110 Episodes, Mask of the Phantasm, Subzero, Mystery of the Batwoman, and Chase Me
Appearances (BTAS Comics): Demons
Appearances (STAS): Knight Time and Demon Reborn
Appearances (BB): All 52 Episodes (Except Hidden Agenda, Final Cut, Armory, Zeta and Inqueling) and Return of the Joker
Appearances (TZP): Shadows
Appearances (SS): The Big Leagues, Hard as Nails, A League of Their Own, A League of Their Own Part Two and Future Shock
Appearances (JL): Secret Origins Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Enemy Below Part One, Part Two, Paradise Lost Part One, Part Two, Injustice For All Part One, Part Two, Brave and the Bold Part Two, Fury Part One, Part Two, Legends Part One, Part Two, Knight of Shadows Part One, Part Two, Metamorphosis Part One, Part Two, Savage Time Part One, Part Three, Twilight Part One, Part Two, Tabula Rasa Part One, Part Two, Only a Dream Part One, Part Two, Maid of Honor Part One, Part Two, A Better World Part One, Part Two, Secret Society Part One, Part Two, Hereafter Part One, Part Two, Wild Cards Part One, Part Two, Starcrossed Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Initiation, For the Man who has Everything, Kid's Stuff, This Little Piggy, Greatest Story Never Told, Ultimatum, Dark Heart, Once and Future Thing Part One, Part Two, Doomsday Sanction, Clash, Panic in the Sky, Divided We Fall, Epilogue, Shadow of the Hawk, Flash and Substance, Dead Reckoning, Ancient History,Alive! and Destroyer
Appearances (TBATB): Night of the Batmen!
Appearances (DC Nation): Batman Beyond
Appearances (DC FanDome): Beyond Batman
Appearances (Teen Titans Go!): Space House - Part 4 and Intro (Non-Canon)
Appearances (JLI Comics): The Mirror Crack'd, The Mirror Crack'd Part Two, The Mirror Crack'd Part Three, The Mirror Crack'd Part Four, The Mirror Crack'd Part Five, The Mirror Crack'd Part Six, and The Mirror Crack'd Part Seven
Skills: Knowledge of sciences, martial arts and other hand to hand combat, electronics, above average attributes, escape arts and infiltration
Voiced By: Kevin Conroy/ Gary Owens (50's)/ Michael Ironside (80's)/ Josh Hutcherson (Age 8)/ Kyle Alcazar (Kid Batman)
A family of three left their favorite movie theater in Gotham City's Park Row. The couple's son mimics a scene from "The Mask of Zorro". They take a wrong turn into an unlit alleyway. A desperate man with a gun demands the group's valuables. A scuffle follows. Within seconds, Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne are dead. Their son, Bruce Wayne has forever had his childhood stolen from him. Bruce became obsessed with avenging his parents' murder and created a plan for the rest of his life.
Once old enough, Bruce Wayne traveled the world and honed his body and mind to the highest physical peak. Along the way, he studied every known science including criminology, forensics, chemistry and psychology. Wayne trained under manhunters and martial arts masters and in time, became an unrivaled master, himself. He trained in Jiu Jutsu in Kurahawa, Japan under Yoru. Beforehand, Wayne traveled somewhere in Europe (possibly Turkey) or even in America, with the famous stage magician, Zatara. Zatara passed on his escape arts onto the young man. Wayne also trained in martial arts and possibly other subjects under the Master in Nanda Parbat.
Years later, Bruce Wayne returned to Gotham City. He took on what most critics called a figurehead position as joint CEO in Wayne Enterprises, as he maintained a public image of a billionaire playboy. All the while, he stalked the night as a nameless vigilante. He struggled to win every fight, intent on trying to find a way to strike fear from the start. While visiting his parents' grave, Wayne encountered Andrea Beaumont. The two fell in love but Wayne was conflicted with love and his promise. He couldn't make any attachments and maintain a straight course in his never ending crusade. Wayne decided to propose to Beaumont. In that moment, a swarm of bats awakened from below and flew past the couple, leaving them in a state of fear. Beaumont's father was a businessman embezzling from the mob. Soon, he was forced to flee the States, with daughter in tow. Wayne was emotionally crushed but moved on.
Wayne investigated the den of bats and discovered a system of caverns that stretched beyond his 150 acre estate into most of Gotham. He converted the caverns into his alter-ego's base of operations, complete with state of the art technology pinched secretly from Wayne Enterprises Research and Development. Chemistry and forensics lab, a high-tech computer database, a secret driveway, dock and shrines decorated the cave. Wayne then created a suitable identity for himself. It was something to use the darkness as a weapon, to strike fear in the hearts of criminals, Batman.
In the early years, Batman was aided by his confidante, Alfred Pennyworth. He soon became the ward of an orphan named Dick Grayson. At age nine, Grayson was the first of Batman's partners. Originally an aerial performer, Grayson was personally trained by Batman and soon donned a costume of his own, Robin. Batman also befriended Gotham City's Police Commissioner James Gordon. Though Gordon didn't approve of Batman's methods, he recognized that Gotham would need all the help it could manage as the city began to witness the advent of bizarre monstrosities and murderous psychopaths in addition to the corrupting force of organized crime already present. Going on 10 years, Batman met another ally, Batgirl, who was actually James Gordon's daughter, Barbara.
In approximately Year 13, Batman and Robin parted ways. Dick Grayson longed to establish his own identity in the world and questioned Batman's plan. The last straw was when he learned that Batman had long deduced Batgirl's identity and never told him. For about three years, Grayson traveled the world in a manner similar to Wayne. Batman fully endorsed Batgirl into the fold and took in another orphan, Tim Drake. Drake was the son of a small time crook that betrayed his employer, Two-Face. The trio became embroiled in Two-Face's latest blackmail scheme. Despite Batman's orders, Drake interfered and donned one of Grayson's earlier Robin costumes. Batman decided to allow Drake to become the next Robin and began to train him. Grayson returned to Gotham with a new identity, Nightwing. The four maintained a partnership and patrolled Gotham for several more years.
New vigilantes emerged. The Judge turned out to be a third persona of Two-Face. Jack Ryder was inadvertently given super powers by the Joker on the seven year anniversary of the fateful night of his transformation from a fall into a vat of chemicals. Ryder named himself the Creeper. Batman came up with a patch to allow him to return to normal. Batman and Superman also encountered each other several times. Batman went to Metropolis in search of the Joker. Superman investigated Roxy Rocket's claim of Batman going missing and helped Robin free Bruce Wayne from the control of Brainiac. Batman saved Superman before Ra's al Ghul could completely drain his essence to restore his youth.
Some time after Superman was brainwashed and unleashed on Earth by Darkseid, Batman was checking on a security anomaly at a Wayne Tech Satellite Observation Station outside of Metropolis. Instead, he encountered sleeper agents of a race of planet conquerors led by the Imperium. After being aided by Superman, Batman and the other people of Earth witnessed a full scale invasion. Batman followed Superman to a secret military facility and released the last Martian J'onn Jonzz, whom was held prisoner and was telepathically reaching out to super heroes. The three were joined by the Flash, Green Lantern John Stewart, Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman. The group was able to prevent the invasion's success. Batman, however, was still concerned with the likelihood of another alien invasion. Using funds and technology from Wayne Enterprises, Batman managed to secretly construct and launch a Watchtower into orbit around the Earth. It would serve as a space station to monitor deep space activity and act as a pre-emptive strike. The seven super heroes later formed the Justice League. Batman maintained he would stay on as a part time member.
While on the League, Batman went on to lay witness to may ordeals alien to any other denizen of Gotham City, the lost city of Atlantis, Greek myths come to life, a hidden city of technologically advanced apes, the New Gods, a nano-technological marvel called AMAZO, a millennia old dictator, an alternate reality or two and saving the space-time continuum, to name a few. Batman went onto be known as one of the founding fathers in the light of the expanded Justice League Unlimited. Though the founder's circle was often viewed as mutually exclusive, Batman recognized the importance of other members such as Green Arrow or the Question.
Despite his opinions about birthdays, Batman attended Flash's surprise birthday party at the Metro Tower which was crashed by Granny Goodness and Kalibak. Once Mister Miracle sent them back to Apokolips, Flash declared it was the best birthday ever. Batman was "glad" he felt that way and ordered him to clean up the damage. He complied and got it done in 7.5 seconds. Batman was one of the Leaguers who fought Overman, a fascist doppelanger of Superman from a parallel universe. J'onn J'onzz, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Shayera Hol, Batman, Vixen, and Green Lantern took Overman to the Watchtower with Lois Lane. Lane interrogated Overman about Superman's location and who was behind the cosmic disturbance. Overman insisted J'onn J'onzz knew he had nothing to do with it after probing his mind and asked why he was being held prisoner. Batman pointed out he attacked Metropolis and announced his intent to conquer the world. Lane suspected Overman could be hiding something and speculated they could be on the cusp of a Nazi invasion of their world. Batman assured her J'onn was thorough.
J'onn believed he could telepathically follow the emanations he sensed to the source of the dimensional overlap. Batman was skeptical about hinging Earth's survival on a psychic intuition and going into a vortex they had little data on then speculated they could be destroyed on contact and obliterate all life on Earth in the process. Wonder Woman asked him if he always looked for the worst in every situation. Shayera Hol pointed out their choices were limited so J'onn's plan was the best option. Lantern agreed but didn't understand why Overman was coming. Overman admitted if helping them got him back home, the sooner the better. Wonder Woman believed his power would be handy against whatever they encountered on the other side of the vortex. She clarified she didn't trust him but she suddenly vanished and was replaced with the skeleton of another Wonder Woman. Batman became enraged. J'onn, Flash, Shayera, Batman, Vixen, Lantern, and Overman took the newly completed Infinity-1 Javelin into the vortex.
Infinity-1 experienced the equivalent of a cosmic tsunami upon entering the vortex. Flash pointed out the obvious that things weren't going as planned. Batman told him to be quiet if he didn't have something useful to offer. Green Lantern contended Flash had a point and predicted the ship was going to be torn apart. J'onzz was overwhelmed by what felt like a million universes forcing their way into his mind at once. Batman told J'onzz he was stronger and stronger than anyone he knew. He pointed out after he lost his family and his world, he found the will to survive and begin again. J'onzz couldn't do it. Batman implored him to. He was moved by Batman's faith and friendship and focused his telepathy. He located Amazo at the crossroads between the universes and emphasized they had to stop it before it brought all of creation crashing down. J'onzz showed Amazo what its actions wrought on the Multiverse. It didn't think a soul was worth losing it all. Batman implored it to help repair the Mirrored Room but its doppelganger emerged and took them all out with a single gesture.
Amazo II cast the battle with the Justice League and Justice Alliance of Earth-D into the landscapes of everyone's minds. The League's Flash and Vixen fought Overman but were soon grabbed by the throats. Batman fired a missile from his Whirly Bat and the League's Batman threw at exploding Batarang at him. Overman countered with heat vision and killed both Batmen. Both versions of J'onn J'onzz deduced the truth and everyone was still alive but in a state of paralysis. Green Lantern managed to form a bubble construct and saved himself, J'onn J'onzz, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Batman from being wiped out from Anti-Life. Batman wasn't convinced they could beat the darkness this time but when Lantern said it out loud, Batman quoted Superman about holding on to hope in the darkest times. He clarified he would like to believe that. Lantern asked him how long he thought he could hold the bubble. Batman recalled Flash said the Speed Force was a primal energy that drove time and space forward. Flash understood and ran around the circumference of the bubble. The vibrational force helped keep the Anti-Life at bay.
Wonder Woman was surprised to learn the savior The Oracle of Earth-X proclaimed would end the crisis was her. With her permission, J'onn probed Wonder Woman's mind. He realized the parallel version of Darkseid that Wonder Woman met bequeathed her with the Life Equation and she was the key to saving the Multiverse. J'onn engulfed her in a telepathic wave and rooted through her psyche in search of the equation. However, Wonder Woman could not handle the celestial energies of the Life Equation and would have been torn apart if not for Batman's quick thinking and joining hands with her to share in it. They felt the pure life energy and its very essence of creation. Amazo II was amused at their vain struggle to stop its plan. It attempted to destroy them but Amazo reconstituted itself and intervened. Batman and Wonder Woman called forth the Life Equation and unleashed it. The Anti-Life Equation was destroyed and the Multiverse was restored to normal. The life energy that passed through Batman and Wonder Woman temporarily overwrote their personal identities. As a result, they felt wonderful and they laughed together.
Superman suggested a small celebration at the Watchtower so they could decompress. Batman and Wonder Woman looked out into space and reflected on their role in releasing the Life Equation and restoring the Multiverse. Batman believed Green Lantern randomly snatched them up and they managed to bring everything back. Wonder Woman wasn't so sure it was random and believed either the power ring or Stewart's unconscious mind knew to grab them. Batman deduced she meant it all happened for a reason. She believed the universe was always working toward their greater good. Batman found it a lovely idea but noted the contradiction. She pointed out their experience proved there were many levels to reality. Batman stated his focus was on the ground but took comfort in her being around to remind him to look up. They held hands. Flash sighed when news of Grodd and his army of mutant gorillas invading Washington DC was relayed to them. Blue Beetle retorted he loved that kind of stuff. Flash admitted he did. In his head, Batman admitted he just maybe did, too.
Some time later, when Amanda Waller was the official US military liaison to the JLU, Batman and Shayera Hol led a small unit to fight the second Royal Flush Gang. Waller arrived and warned the League that the Gang's founder, Ace was going to die of an aneurysm and the resulting psychic backlash would kill everyone within several miles. Batman accepted a device that would safely kill her. Batman ventured forward and confronted Ace, alone. However, Batman had no intention of using it. Ace found solace with Batman because he was the only person, she'd known that never feared her and later realized they were kindred spirits. Both had their lives stolen when they were children. Batman promised to stay by her side until she died and convinced her to undo the things she altered with her mind.
During, right before or after Batman resigned from the JLU, he went through a final battle that ultimately decided the fate of his partners in Gotham City. Dick Grayson had long left Gotham to establish himself in another city, Bludhaven. Tim Drake, Robin, one night, was on patrol by himself. He thought he was saving a woman from two hoodlums. Instead, Drake fell into a trap laid by the Joker. For three weeks, Batman and Batgirl searched every lead to no avail. Then, the Joker left a jack-in-the-box prop that revealed his location at the former Arkham Asylum. Batman and Batgirl discovered that the Joker had systematically tortured Drake and molded him into a crude replica of himself. In the process, Joker learned Batman's secrets. In the aftermath, Batman lay beaten but the Joker didn't completely succeed in turning Drake. Drake resisted and killed the Joker.
Joker was buried beneath Arkham, to which the only other person who knew was Commissioner Gordon. Dr. Leslie Thompkins was entrusted to help Drake. After a year, she succeeded. However, Batman blamed himself for allowing such a thing to happen and forbade Drake from being Robin anymore. Drake angrily struck out on his own. He attempted to repair his relationship with Batman, but with his inability and refusal to share his true feelings, Drake was frustrated and eventually retired.
For a time, it was just Batman and Batgirl. From Batgirl's point of view, their partnership was an ideal and romanticized one. The truth was probably somewhat skewed. But Batman has had fondness for her and several women over the years, Zatanna, Talia, Andrea Beaumont and Selina Kyle. In any case, Batgirl also eventually frustrated with Batman's outward insensitivity as Nightwing and Robin did and resigned.
Despite the tumultuous relationships, Batman managed to still prevent an epic global catastrophe initiated by one of his enemies, Ra's al Ghul. In what was later called the Near Apocalypse of '09, Batman won his final battle against Ra's al Ghul and saved the world. Parts of the world were still devastated. In time, they were restored by Ra's' daughter, Talia.
In the meantime, either due to ailing health and an effort to redouble his efforts, Batman devised and created a new Batsuit that would effectively turn him into a walking utility belt. However, the prototype version had an ill effect of straining his heart. 30 years later, with the final suit, Batman broke up a blackmail ring that kidnapped Gotham socialite, Bunny Vreeland. Batman suffered a heart attack and resorted to picking up a gun to scare off the last thug. Horrified, Wayne gave up and resigned as Batman. In that time, the financial cutthroat, Derek Powers of Powers Technology finally succeeded in a hostile takeover of Wayne Enterprises. Wayne no longer had the stride to fight it and became reduced to a mere presence among the Board of Trustees.
20 years later, a young teenager named Terry McGinnis while on the run from a gang of Jokerz, trespassed on Wayne's estate. After the scuffle, McGinnis helped Wayne get to his medication. McGinnis then encountered Wayne's dog, Ace whom he saved recently while visiting Crime Alley on the anniversary of his parents' deaths. McGinnis went into Wayne's study and discovered the entrance to the Bat Cave. Wayne woke up and chased him off. McGinnis later discovered his father left him incriminating evidence against Powers. He returned to Wayne who refused to do anything but refer him to the authorities, to which McGinnis didn't trust because of his own past. After he escaped an encounter with Powers, McGinnis stole Wayne's Bat Suit and infiltrated the Wayne-Powers compound. McGinnis convinced Wayne to let him avenge his father's murder.
Wayne hired McGinnis as a part time assistant while he mentored McGinnis as the new Batman. Together they fought resurgence in costumed criminals and metahumans like Inque, Spellbinder, Stalker and Shriek. Wayne eventually retook his position atop Wayne Enterprises and witnessed his pupil defeat old enemies. Wayne also mended fences with his former allies, Tim Drake and Barbara Gordon.
15 years later, Wayne suffered a kidney failure and needed a transplant to survive. Surprisingly, Terry McGinnis was an exact match. The chances were nearly improbable. McGinnis then discovered he was a genetic match, technically Wayne's son. Decades ago, Amanda Waller came to realize the world needed a Batman. She had some field agents collect blood samples and synthesized a DNA payload with nanotechnology. After rigorous profiling, the McGinnis couple was chosen. Whether Wayne knew or not, Warren McGinnis was injected and had his DNA overwritten with Wayne's. Though hiding his care like with his former allies, McGinnis eventually came to accept Wayne and continued on the legacy of Batman.